INDIANA INVADERS JULIA RUDD CAREER BEST AT USA NATIONALS
June 23, 2007
(INDIANAPOLIS) Indiana Invaders' Julia Rudd posted a career best in the
3000 meter steeplechase at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Rudd's 10:15.76 effort in the semi-finals was the fastest time not to
make the finals.
Rudd, an eleven-time NCAA D-III All-American while at UW-La Crosse, has
been with the Invaders for nearly ten months and is focused on next
year's Olympic Trial's steeplechase. Rudd improved her best steeple
chase mark by 10 seconds and also ran personal best at several other
distances in her rookie season with the Invaders.
Team Director, Greg Harger, said, "Rudd has handled the post-collegiate
transition months fairly well and we have identified key components for
her next training cycle. She has a great opportunity to make the
Olympic Trials in 2008." Harger added, "With new additions to our
women's steeple training group we anticipate a strong women's cross
country team this fall along with the emergence of additional Olympic
Trial's contenders in the women's steeple."
Since 1999, the Invaders have had one IAAF World Indoor Champion, one
IAAF World Indoor Bronze Medalist, eight USA National Champions, one USA
Olympic Team Member, nine USA National Team Members and 132 USA National
Championship Qualifiers.
The Indiana Invaders, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998,
presents an innovative approach to track & field by providing a
resident-based, athlete-centered support system unique to the sport in
the United States.
INDIANA INVADERS TO HOST DISTANCE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT IV
June 21, 2007
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders are hosting the fourth in what has
become an annual "Distance Summit" of leading development teams, coaches
and supporters of athlete development in the United States during the
USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The Distance Development Summit was first initiated and hosted by Zap
Fitness in the fall of 2004 at their training facility in Blowing Rock,
North Carolina. In the fall of 2005, the Boston Athletic Association
facilitated the hosting of a second edition of the Distance Summit in
Boston, Massachusetts and the Indiana Invaders hosted the third edition
at the 2006 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships held in
Indianapolis.
Arguably the majority of the most outspoken and successful athlete
development organizations in the United States will be in attendance or
represented: Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, Oregon Track Club Elite,
Team USA Minnesota, Zap Fitness, and the Indiana Invaders among others
will convene for the fourth generation Distance Development Summit.
On tap for the Distance Development Summit IV will be finalization of
specific plans for the 2008 American Milers Club High Performance Series
and an in-depth discussion of an expanded 2008 High Performance Series
expected to produce some of the fastest and deepest fields in 2008
from the 800 to the 10,000.
Collectively these organizations as USATF clubs, led by some of the most
dynamic development coaches in the country, have produced an
overwhelming majority of the club-based elite development talent
competing at USA National Championships in recent seasons. While each
organization has a unique event focus they have collectively had
significant success from the 800 through to the marathon.
Keith Hanson (Hansons Brooks Developmental Program), Dennis Barker (Team
USA Minnesota), Pete Rea (ZAP Fitness), Frank Gagliano (Oregon Track
Club Elite) and Greg Harger (Indiana Invaders) will be joined by a
handful of other supporters and backers of their collective initiatives.
Summit host and Indiana Invaders Team Director Greg Harger said, "We
share the same values and commitments to developing athletic talent and
we have all independently developed and achieved success in our own
communities with unique initiatives that have a remarkable amount of
common experience and value to one another as we have learned through
sharing our proverbial lessons learned. By coming together as a group
and working together where ever possible, we will continue to change and
improve the dynamic of our sport for true development initiatives in
this country."
Further details from this Distance Summit will be released in the near
future as they become formalized. The next session of these Distance
Development Summits will be held in Eugene, Oregon at the 2008 USA
Olympic Trials.
Since 1999 the Invaders have had one IAAF World Indoor Champion, one
IAAF World Indoor Bronze Medalist, eight USA National Champions, one USA
Olympic Team Member, nine USA National Team Members and 132 USA National
Championship Qualifiers.
The Indiana Invaders, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998,
presents an innovative approach to track & field by providing a
resident-based, athlete-centered support system unique to the sport in
the United States.
INDIANA INVADERS TO COMPETE AT USA NATIONALS
June 20, 2007
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders will compete at the 2007 AT&T USA
Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana on June
21-24, 2007. This is the Invaders' ninth appearance at the USA Outdoor
Championships where over the course of their first nine seasons of
competition at USA Track & Field National Championships, the Indiana
Invaders have produced 132 athlete appearances.
The Invaders are led into the 2007 championships by Adam Shunk (Delta,
Muncie, Ind.), a graduate student at Ball State University and the 2006
USA National Indoor Champion in the high jump. Shunk is a 2004 Olympic
Trials participant and is qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials. Shunk
currently competes under a NIKE affiliation.
Joining Shunk in this weekend's USA National Championship are teammates
Jacob Koczman (800) and Julia Rudd (3000SC).
Jacob Koczman, a 2004 Olympic Trials Finalist and USA National
Championship finalist in 2006, will compete in the 800 where he has a
career best of 1:47.06. Koczman, a full-time medical student, comes into
the competition as the last qualifier in the field of 32.
Julia Rudd will compete in her first USA National Championship ranked
24th in a field of 27 athletes. Rudd is in her rookie year with the
Indiana Invaders and has posted personal best at every meaningful
distance since arriving in Indianapolis in the fall of 2006. Rudd's best
mark is 10:18.74.
Team Director Greg Harger said, "This is a great opportunity for our
team to compete our home community. It's exciting to have the
championships in your own community and it should be a great week of
competition for many from Indiana." Coach Harger added, "This is a great
kick off to the beginning of a push to the Olympic Trials and Olympic
Games of 2008."
2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships:
http://www.usatf.org/events/2007/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/
The Indiana Invaders, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998,
presents an innovative approach to track & field by providing a
resident-based, athlete-centered support system unique to the sport in
the United States.
